INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING AND FILING THE U.S. STUDENT FULBRIGHT APPLICATION

Your application represents you, so be sure that it is complete and accurate and that the essays and supplementary materials represent your own work. It is not acceptable to misrepresent one's accomplishments, to borrow from the works of others without proper acknowledgment, or to submit as one's own material that has been written, re-written or heavily edited by others. Breaches of these protocols may result in rejection of the application.

The U.S. Student Fulbright Program requires that applicants file the application online.  In addition, applicants must print out the final PDF version of the Online Application, compile all application components and submit the complete application package

If you are applying At-Large, send the application to the Institution of International Education

OR

If you are Enrolled and applying through your home institution, give to your Fulbright Program Adviser

Applications submitted to IIE become the property of IIE. No part will be returned under any circumstance.

Only applicants who receive permission from the U.S. Student Programs Director at IIE may submit a hard copy-only application form.

It is essential that you review the complete program information available online at http://us.fulbrightonline.org/home.html or in the hard copy brochure, Fulbright U.S. Student Program, 2010-2011.

The Application Packet

A complete hard-copy (i.e., printed paper) application consists of all the following relevant materials.  Details on each of these components can be found on website in the section:  Preparing an Application

Application Components/Checklist

Each of the items is explained in more detail on the website. It is the applicant's responsibility to understand what is required for their application/program and to submit the appropriate documents by the stated campus or IIE application deadline.

Components marked by an * may not be required for all applicants.

1. Statement of Grant Purpose: This document outlines the what, when, where, why, how, and with whom of your proposed grant.  Guidelines differ somewhat for Study/Research in academic fields, Study/Research in the Creative and Performing Arts and ETA grants, so be sure to review the information on the website for the grant to which you are applying.
2. Letter(s) of Affiliation for Research/Study Applicants*:  Original letters from host country sponsors are strongly preferred. However, the program will accepts faxed letters or scanned copies if time does not permit the original to reach you by the deadline.
3. Personal Statement:  This one-page statement can provide reviewers with insight into what motivates you and is read with care by the committees.
4. Language Report Forms*: Applicants for English-speaking countries may ignore these forms, unless a project requires a reading knowledge of Latin, Greek or other language, which must also be certified. It is required for all others. Be sure to check language requirements for the country to which you are applying in the Country Summaries section of the website.
There are three forms related to reporting your language skills. In the online application, your responses to Preliminary Questions 3 and 4 will give you assess to the forms you need.

Form 7: Language Background Report*:   To be completed in the online application by applicant and asks questions about your language skills and how you have learned the language.

Form 7A:  Critical Language Enhancement Award Supplementary Form* : To be completed in the online application by Critical Language Enhancement Award applicants only.

Form 8:  Foreign Language Evaluation*:  To be completed in electronic format by a professional language teacher and submitted in hard copy by the applicant.


5. References:   Applicants register their referees in the Online Application System.  We strongly recommend that all references be submitted in the Online System.  At various stages of the process, only the online version is reviewed.  Lack of a reference at this stage may negatively affect your application.

   Be sure to let the people who you are asking to complete references know that they will receive an email from the Fulbright Program with information on submitting references.

   Form 9A:  References for Research/Study Grants (3):  Three letters of reference are required.  Form 9A is an optional coversheet that is generated when the referee prints the reference from the Online Application System.

   OR
   

   Form 9B: ETA Reference Form (3):  Three ETA references are required. Be advised that these are fill-in forms and not narrative letters of reference.

   ETA APPLICANTS:  It is important that you tell your referees that the Fulbright Program requires the submission of an ETA REFERENCE FORM and not a general letter of reference.  The Fulbright Program WILL NOT accept reference letters for ETA applicants.

   Remember, referees and Foreign Language Evaluators must print out a completed copy of the form or letter, sign it, and put it in a sealed envelope so that you can submit it with your application.  You are responsible for making sure that the referee understands this and for collecting the letter/form from the individual. 

   You should give their referees/language evaluator as self-addressed, stamped (if necessary) envelope so that the person can return the document to the applicant.

   If the referee is not able to complete the electronic form, see the section References in Preparing an Application.  

6. Original Transcripts:  Required from all post-secondary institutions (whether or not you received a degree from the institution) that you have attended and received academic credit. 
• If courses, grades, and credits from transfer institutions appear on the transcript of the applicant's degree institution, then it is not necessary to submit a separate transcript from the transfer institution.
• With the exception of language study, transcripts or records from institutions which did not award academic credit or were not applied to an undergraduate degree need not be submitted.
• All graduate course work should be submitted.
• Only one official transcript is required from each institution
• Form 12: Transcript Labels should be attached to each transcript (by the Registrar's Office) or the outside of transcript envelope (by the candidate.)  This specifically pertains to At-Large applicants; but also for enrolled candidates whose transcripts will be sent directly to their FPAs.
  

Failure to provide a complete academic history of higher education can negatively affect your application.  Applications from graduate students which do not include the undergraduate and master's degree transcripts may be not recommended.

7. Form 11: Creative and Performing Arts Supplementary Form and Materials*:  Form 11 will document the materials that applicants in the Creative and Performing Arts are submitting.  Applications in the creative and performing arts are reviewed by specialists in the field.

 General fields requiring supplementary materials include:

• Music Instrument Training
• Composition or Conducting
• Visual arts
• Filmmaking
• Performing Arts

Architecture and Creative Writing applicants are required to submit work samples. Applicants in Ethnomusicology may submit supplementary work samples.

Supplementary materials will not be accepted from applicants in any other fields.

For general guidelines on preparing applications in the arts click here.

For instructions on preparing supplementary materials in the creative and performing arts click here.

Please note the following features of the Online Application

1. The application has been programmed for typeface and font size. You cannot alter these formats.
   
2. The HTML format will not mirror the final hard copy version of the application, which is in PDF format. The PDF version, which you must print out once your have completed your application, is the only acceptable hard copy used for review.
   
3. You do not need to complete the application in one sitting. The system will allow you to enter, re-enter and revise all sections of your application before it is submitted. Remember to periodically save any data you have entered.
4. There are several required fields. The Application Inspector will prompt you to make sure that you have completed all the required fields.
5. In several instances the required fields have drop-down tables. These MUST be used, e.g., country of application, field of study, etc. You must select data from these tables. You cannot enter optional information in these fields.
6. As you work on the application, you can review the PDF version of each page from the Application Data Entry screens when you click on the PREVIEW button. You can also print out individual pages in PREVIEW.
   
7. When you have passed the Application Inspector, you will receive a prompt to preview the PDF form. Follow this prompt and all pages of the application will appear. You can now print out the entire application. This will be the hard copy of the application that you will submit with your supporting documents.
   
8. If you are completely satisfied with this version of your application, then you are ready to SUBMIT the application electronically. Follow instructions in Step F: Submit Application.

When and Where Do I Send the Application

To qualify for awards for the 2010-2011 academic year, applications must be:

• Submitted electronically by October 19, 2009
• Mailed in hard copy to reach IIE's New York Office by October 21, 2009.

U.S. Student Programs
Institute of International Education
809 UN Plaza
New York, NY 10017

At-Large applicants must submit all application materials directly to IIE by the deadlines below:

• All parts of an application, including references, transcripts and the Foreign Language Evaluation, must be submitted simultaneously, in one package.
• Candidates in the Creative and Performing Arts may submit supplementary material separately, but this must be accompanied by Form #11, detailing the material submitted.
  
• Remember to sign your application on the bottom of page 1 of the hard copy.

Application Deadline: Completed applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday, October 21, 2009.

• IIE will not accept faxed or emailed application materials from any source.
• Applications submitted to IIE become the property of IIE. No part will be returned under any circumstances.
• IIIE cannot acknowledge the receipt of applications or other documents. If you want to be certain that your application packet was received at IIE, you should send it via a carrier that provides tracking details and delivery confirmation.
  
  

PRIVACY STATEMENT

Under the Privacy Act of 1974 (Public Law 93-579), any individual who is requested by or on behalf of a federal agency to provide information about himself or herself must be informed of the authority, purpose, and uses to which the information provided is intended to be used. In conformity with this legislation, applicants for grants under the Fulbright-Hays Act are informed that:

a) The solicitation of the information requested in the forms for application for a grant is authorized under the Fulbright-Hays Act;
b) The information is intended to be used in screening and selecting grantees, and in the administration of the grants;
c) The information made available for the U.S. Department of State may be released to other U.S. government agencies, the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, binational commissions, foreign host institutions, Congress, the news media, and relatives of the grantee trying to reach the individual for bona fide personal reasons;
d) Failure to provide the information requested could place an applicant at a disadvantage in the competition.